Memorandum-tablet.



No. 738,504. PATENTED SEPT. s, 1903.

E. A. A. WEBER. MEMORANDUM TABLET.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 28, 1903.

No MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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AFTERNOON.

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PATENTED sBPT.-, 190s.

` Gr. A. A. WEBER.

MEMORANDUM TABLET. APPLICATION FILED MAY za, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v' No MODEL.

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No. rinasce.

Patented September 8, 1903.

PATENT OEEICE.

GUS'IAV A. A. VEBER, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

MEMORANDUM-TABLET.

BPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,504, dated September 8, 1903.

Application filed May 28, 1903. Serial No. 159.073. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it 71mg/ con/cern:

Beit known that I, GUsTAv A. A. WEBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in llIeniorandum-'Iablets, of which the following is a specification.

rIhisinvention relates to one of those devices which is intended to be liXed near the entrance of an oflice, shop, or store for the purpose of providing means whereby messages, orders, or memoranda may be left for the occupant of the office, shop, or store during his absence. Y,

The object of this invention is to provide a readymeans for receivinga message, order, or memorandum and for concealing it from observation until the device is opened by the owner andat the saine time to provide means for indicating the hour at which the owner of the device will return to the office, shop, or store.

The device which embodies this invention has a number of tablets arranged in a case in such manner that one desiring to leave a message may write it upon an exposed tablet and then by pressing a button operate mechanism that will cause the tablet upon which the memorandum has been written to drop out of sight and leave another tablet in position for another memorandum, as more particularly hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l shows a front elevation of a device that embodies the invention. Fig. 2 shows a central vertical section of the device; and

Figa@ shows a horizontal section looking i downwardly on larger scale,taken on the plane indicated by the dotted line .r or of Fig. l..

The l of this machine may be made of wood or any other suitable material in any desired shape. In the front of this case is an opening 2. Back of the opening and supported by a platform 3 are a number of tablets 4.. These tablets maybe made of paper, cardboard, slateboard, or slate, but preferably are made of light crasible sheets insert ed in frames. Between the front of the platform and the front of the case is an opening of just suflicient width to allow the front tablet to drop down. A ringer 5 extends from each side beneath the opening so as to hold up the front tablet. Each linger is connected to a vertical rod G, that at its upper end has an arm 7, which engages a slot S in a frame 9, that is attached to a push-button IO, which projects through the front of the case and is thrust forwardly by a spring ll. Vhen the button is pushed inwardly against the thrust of the spring, the frame oscillates the arms and causes the 'lingers to move backwardly from beneath the front tablet, allowing that tablet to drop from back of the opening down into the lower part of the case. In Fig. 2 several tablets are shown on the platform. One tablet is shown dropping down and another tablet Vis shown as way down. Plates l2 are arranged on each side to guide the tablets as they drop down and to hold them as they pile one upon the other on the bottom of the case. Behind the tablets is a follower 13. Pressing against the back` of the follower are two arms le, projecting from vertical rods l5, that at their lower ends have arms I6, that by springs 17 are connected with a bar 1S, which is adapted to be caught over ahook 19 near the Jfront of the frame, so as to place the springs under tension. This mechanism causes the followerto exert a pressure against the tablets and force them for wardly as one drops down into the case away from the opening. W'hen it is desired to replace the tablets on the platform in front of the opening, the bar is unhooked and the springs relieved of tension. Then the follower can be drawn back and the tablets inserted in front of the follower.

On each side of the case is a vertical rod 20, which has an arm 2l, that is adapted to engage a slot 22 in the frame that is connected withthe push-button. Attached to each of these vertical rods are wings 23. As the push-button is thrust rearwardly for removing the supporting-fingers from beneath the front tablets the wings are oscillated bythe frame so as to pass between the first and second tablets and hold the tablets behind the iirst. This frees the first tablet, so that it can drop easily, and holds the second tablet from being pushed forward and dropping into the opening until after the push-button has been released and the lingers are returned to their positions beneath the opening.

TOC

Any desired number of tablets may be used and these tablets may be made of any suitable material. Adjacent to the push-button is an opening in the case, back of which is placed a notice, which preferably is f Push button after order is written. As this notice implies, a person desiring to leave an order or any form of memorandum or direction can write upon the front tablet and then push the button. As he pushes the button the fingers are removed from beneath the front tablet, so that it drops down into the case out of sight. As described, the pushing of the button holds the second tablet until after the button has been released and then the follower advances all of the tablets toward the front.

The `back 2.4 is hinged to the case so as to form a door. When this door is opened, immediate access may be obtained to all of the mechanism or to the tablets which have dropped down, so that the ownerof the device on his return from an absence may open the door and remove the tablets upon which messages have been written. At any desired time, preferably after the messages have been noted by the owner, 'the tablets are cleaned, the follower withdrawn, and the tablets replaced back of those which are still in position. All messages are easily written on the tablets, and then by simple pressure on the button the tablet utilized is caused to drop out of sight, so that the message cannot be observed. This provides a simple device by means of which messages, orders, or memoranda may be left and kept in secrecy until opened by the owner.

The lower part of the front of the case is preferably hinged, so as to form a door 25. Back of a window in this door is a slide 26, upon which the word Outmay be printed. Whenever the owner intends to be absent, the slide is pushed so the word Out is eX- posed to view. When he returns, the slide is withdrawn, so that the word Out docs not show. Beneath the word Out7 and back of a window 27 is a card marked with the hours of the forenoon and afternoon. Of course divisions of these hours may be marked upon the cards. Movable adjacent to the hoursof the forenoon is a slide with a pointer 28, and movable adjacent to the hours of the afternoon is a slide with a pointer When the door is opened, these slides can be moved to the desired hour to indicate when the owner will return, whether it be afternoon or forenoon. Vhen the door is locled,the pointers cannot be tampered with.

I' claim as my inventionl. A memorandum device consisting of a case having an opening, tablets supported back of the opening, mechanism for removing the support from beneath the front tablet and allowing it to drop out of sight, and mechanism for advancing the tablets toward the front after the front tablet has been dropped, substantially as specified.

2. A memorandum device consisting of a case having an opening', tablets supported back of the opening, mechanism for removing the support from beneath the front tablet and allowing it to drop out of sight, mechanism for holding the second tablet back until the support has returned to position and mechanism for advancing the tablets after the holding mechanism has been returned to position, substantially as specified.

3. A memorandum device consisting of a case having an opening, tablets supported back of the opening, fingers extending loeneath and supporting the front tablet, a pushbutton arranged to move the fingers from beneath the front tablet, and a follower arranged to advance the tablets after the front tablet has been dropped, substantially as specified.

4. A memorandum device consisting of a case having an opening', tablets supported back of the opening, fingers extending beneath and supporting the front tablet, a pushbutton arranged to movethe fingers from be# neath the front tablet, wings adapted to hold Athe rear tablets from movement until after the fingers have returned to their normal position, and a follower adapted to advance the tablets after the wings have returned to their normal position, substantially as specified.

5. A memorandum device consisting of a case having an opening, tablets supported back of the opening, lingers extending beneath and supporting the front tablet, apushbutton adapted to move the finger from beneath the front tablet, wings adapted to hold the rear tablets from movement until after the fingers have returned to their normal position, a follower located back of the tablets, arms bearing against the follower, springs holding the arms against the follower, and means for releasing the springs so that the arms may be opened away from the back of the follower, substantially as specified.

6. A memorandum device consisting of a case having an opening, tablets supported back of the opening, fingers arranged to support the front tablet, an outwardly springthrust push-button arranged to move the fingers from beneath the front tablet, wings IOO operated by the push-button for holding theVA second tablet until the fingers have-returned to their normal position, a followerback of the tablets, springs arranged to force the follower forward, and a receptacle beneathjthe' tablet-support for receiving the tablets as they are dropped from the support, substantially as specified.

GUSTAV A. A. VEBER. 

